I'm Not Crazy
by RamenOnAStick
Summary: Half a year after Yuuki left, Zero finds a mysterious girl one snowy night. With her quiet demeanor and odd personality, who is she? Why is she being hunted? Most importantly, will she be able to make Zero forget what happened six months ago? REWRITING!
1. Prologue

**A/N 2012: Hi Everyone! Long-time no see! **

**I realize that it's been over a year since I updated this story, and I am so sorry for that! Because it's been so long, I'm planning to rewrite each chapter beginning from the prologue and eventually continuing where I left off. However, I will keep the old chapters there until I rewrite them, because I've lost all of the original documents due to some computer problems. I'll be making a few small changes, starting with the genre. The more I think about it, the less and less this feels like a romance story, so…**

**Enjoy! **

**I own nothing!**

**Prologue**

"How are you today, Kaiya?" the nurse asked brightly as she bustled into the dimly lit room.

She was a plump figure in her slightly tight uniform, but nevertheless had a kind smile as she scanned her first patient of the day.

"I've brought your family here to visit you!" she continued warmly. "That's nice, isn't it?"

The dishevelled figure sitting upright in the sleek white bed simply blinked slightly in recognition as her nurse opened the curtains to let in the sunlight. Instantly, she cowered under her flimsy bed sheets.

"Now, now Kaiya," the nurse scolded affectionately as she handed her patient a handful of pearly white pills, "There is no way that the sunlight can hurt you. Take your pills, dear."

Wrapped in the bedclothes, her sapphire blue eyes stared solemnly at her array of visitors who were now trooping into her room behind the nurse.

Kaiya took the pills with a grimace. The nurse shook her head fondly as she scurried off to attend to her numerous other charges, leaving the girl alone with her family.

"So Kaiya," her mother, Mine, said sweetly, sitting down by her daughter's feet, "How have you been, darling? It's been nearly two weeks since our last visit!"

Her daughter heard the strain behind her mother's voice and took notice of the way her little sister, Fujita, was avoiding eye-contact. Choosing not to answer the question, Kaiya smiled at her older brother, who gave her a hug in return.

"I've missed you," he said, his deep blue eyes sparkling.

Kaiya squeezed him back. Her family had always been afraid of her during their fortnightly visits to the hospital, but Taro was different. She knew he truly loved her.

An hour passed by. Taro was explaining to Kaiya how he had scored the winning goal for the school basketball tournament when there was a small tap on the beige door. It was the nurse again, looking slightly troubled as if she had just remembered something very important.

"May I have a quick word with you all, Mr. and Mrs. Hayashi?" she asked briskly.

"Sure." Kaya's father, Jiro, replied, gesturing towards an empty floral chair in the corner of the room.

The nurse shook her head firmly.

"Outside, please," she specified, flashing a knowing look towards the two parents.

Jiro nodded. Slowly, the family marched out of the space like a military procession.

"Stay here, Kaiya." Nurse ordered in an attempt to be reassuring on her way out. "I'm just going to have a quick word with Mummy and Daddy."

"Fujita, Taro, go and get yourselves something from the café downstairs."

Taro gave Kaiya an apologetic smile as he left the room with their parents.

The forgotten girl leapt out of her uncomfortable bed and onto the cold linoleum floor. Her midnight-black hair fell loosely around her hospital pajamas as she crouched on the dirty floor beside the door, eager to listen in.

It was hard to distinguish the words through the wall. Despite this, Kaiya still managed to catch a lot of the conversation.

"As you know, Kaiya is now seventeen," a voice which she identified as the nurses, said regrettably.

"Yes." Jiro confirmed, sounding slightly confused, "Why does it matter?"

Kaiya frowned and adjusted her position on the floor. She was anxious to hear more.

"Well, no, it doesn't matter in the slightest, of course." She continued purposefully, "But, as you know, Kaiya will need ongoing care after she has reached adulthood, and I'm very sorry to say that here at Beerbrook Children's Psychiatric Hospital, we do not cater for patients who are over the age of eighteen."

"But what will happen to her?" Mine asked, sounding desperate, "We can't just take her home with us!"

"You need to begin thinking about Kaiya's transfer to another establishment, preferably one that specializes in adult cases," she explained. "Now, I know of some excellent facilities which would be more than happy to take her in. If you'd just come with me, I have some paper work for you to sign."

As soon as the sound of footsteps faded away entirely, Kaiya stood up from her position by the wall. What was she going to do? It seemed so permanent. She'd been at this dank hospital for seven years, ever since that day when… Kaiya shook her head firmly. There was only one thing to do – she was going to have to take the freedom which she'd been hoping for years into her own hands. She would wait until nightfall.

Ever since she was the terrified ten hear old who had just been sent to stay in Beerbrook Children's Psychiatric Hospital, Kaiya had longed for the day when she would be able to leave again with her brother. But things were different now.

"I'm sorry, Taro," she said softly as she knelt next to the loose floorboard.

The floorboard concealed a small key that Kaiya had stolen from the nurse just over a year ago. She had done it on a whim one particularly bad day. It was nice to have the feeling that she could escape if she wanted, even if she'd always been too nervous to do it.

Taking a deep breath, Kaiya turned the key into the lock of her room's window and immediately struck a problem. The window was stuck. It was opened so rarely that no-one ever bothered to wax it. Kaiya struggled with it for a few minutes before eventually lifting it all of the way up. A cool breeze swept into the room, engulfing her with smells that she hadn't encountered for years. With one final glance at the room where she'd live for ten years, Kaiya climbed tentatively onto the ledge.

_Help me, Taro!_

She knew well enough to keep silent as she plummeted down three stories of the hospital. It was her own extremely good fortune that a rosebush waited directly below to catch her fall.


	2. Chapter 1 A Strange Finding

**A/N 2012: Hi everyone! Enjoy the rewritten version of Chapter 1!**

**As with before, this chapter onward is from Zero's perspective.**

**I own nothing!**

**Chapter 1- A Strange Finding**

Zero shivered as he opened the door of his apartment, ready for another night of hunting. Sighing, he stepped out onto the empty street, feeling his nose turn instantly into a block of ice as he did so. It was snowing heavily. Although he was glad to have been given a 'distraction' in the form of his hunting duties, he was not pleased one bit about the snow. Zero scowled.

He reached into his pocket and drew out his latest orders from the Hunter's Association. There were two Level Es, a man and a woman who were last seen heading into the forest in the afternoon. Although no-one had been targeted yet, Zero knew he had to act fast. Quickening his pace, he hurried down the street as stealthily as possible.

The scent of the two vampires led him into a dark, narrow alleyway. It was near the shopping district of town.

_Dammit_, Zero thought, running faster_, if they get to the shopper's area then it'll be all over!_

As he searched the dark place hastily for any visible sign of the two monsters, he felt a sudden pang of recognition. He had been in this alleyway before, hunting vampires. Zero frowned. Before dismissing it as one of the many jobs which he had attended to in this town (which was a popular target) he remembered with a jolt of pain to his chest– shortly after his transformation, he had been here, with _her _- fighting after having been attacked by a rogue vampire.

Shaking himself off, Zero concentrated harder on the situation unfolding in front of him. He mustn't think about that time, or her – he _couldn't._ She was gone forever. She had gotten over her old life with him, and the academy. She was perfectly happy living with _that man_ for the rest of her pureblood life. He was the only one who couldn't seem to move on from six months ago.

"Well, look what we have here!" a warbling voice teased from above Zero's head, taking him by surprise and pulling him back to reality.

The man's face was distorted by madness and hunger, his hair was knotted and bedraggled. Zero noted the blood-red eyes and knew that he had at last found his prey. Both of them, as the female vampire emerged beside him.

"Hunter-kun wants to kill us!" she exclaimed playfully, her eyes also scarlet. "Well, we don't want to make your game too easy then, do we? I haven't even gotten to taste one person yet!"

She licked her lips and grabbed her companion's hand. Before Zero had time to react, the two vampires had shot over the roof of the neighbouring café.

Cursing vampires and life in general, he began to follow them. Climbing gingerly onto the roof, Zero surveyed the town. He spotted both of his targets gleefully skipping along some metres away over a succession of snow covered rooftops. He would have to jump across. Zero scowled in frustration as he leaped onto the next roof. He hated his prey getting away from him.

Panting, Zero finally reached the end of the path of rooftops. He was now on the very outskirts of town. It had been a long and harrowing chase, made even worse by the snow, and he still hadn't caught up to them. Shaking the snow out of his hair, he turned around to look for them.

The two vampires were laughing gleefully as they closed in on two girls in pyjamas. Instinctively, Zero jumped down from the rooftop, loosening some of the old tiles on the way to the ground. This was it.

Encircling the vampires between the layer of trees, Zero held his gun out steadily towards them. They now had the girls in their grasp – there was no more time for this game of tag.

"Don't move," he ordered, pointing the gun straight at their chests, "This is the end. You have become a serial killer, and I will purge you of your sin."

The Level Es laughed, not the slightest bit phrased by Zero's threats. Evidently, they didn't think that he could do it. He hesitated slightly, as he always did, before shooting the male vampire straight in the heart. As he crumbled into dust, the blond girl in his arms fell to the ground, unconscious.

_One down, one to go, _Zero thought.

He was just relieved that they hadn't escaped again.

Turning his gun on the female, Zero prepared to shoot once again. But, before he could pull the trigger his prey lashed out, scratching his arm deeply. Gripping it in pain, Zero lowered his gun from his target. Instead he leapt towards her, knocking both of them over into the snow covered grass.

"Don't touch me," he snarled, pushing her further to the ground with his foot.

The woman did not even bother struggling against his grip. She was just as sick of this as he was. Zero hesitated as he was reminded once again of what he could have become, a level E himself, before shooting. The shot rang out loud and clear before silence rang once more in the frozen park. As the second vampire crumbled and joined her partner in the pile of sand, Zero's eyes fell on the two victims who had narrowly escaped death. They were both unconscious from the shock of the attack. They would need their memories erased. As he performed the spell he thought about where he should leave them to wake up. They didn't appear harmed, so he decided to take them to a nearby café to rest in the warmth until they awoke.

With no more work assigned to him for the night, Zero set off through the town back to his apartment. He was trudging through a fresh, thick layer of snow when he sensed something yet again - the scent of a vampire. There was something, or someone, in the bush nearby on the side of the road. Zero pulled out his gun. Maybe it was another Level E?

Searching through the bushes, Zero found absolutely no trace of any vampires or humans alike. Had he imagined the scent? The chairman was always going on about how he didn't get enough sleep... Zero was about to dismiss the feeling when a small dark animal jumped out at him and bit down on his wounded arm.

Whipping around, Zero threw the thing off. As it crashed against the back wall of a nearby shop, he realized that it was a girl. Her hair was black, long and tangled. She was wearing a pair of grey flannel pajamas with BEERBROOK CHILDREN'S PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL printed on the chest in black lettering. Her skin was covered with dirt and badly scratched.

The girl glared at Zero with the familiar blood red eyes of a vampire. She stood up and prepared to attack him again. Thrilled to have more work to put himself off his own thirst, Zero aimed his gun right at her chest. But something stopped him – there was something different in her scent. There was no familiar stench of madness and blood that came with ex-human vampires. He did not duck as she lunged for him again, but just stared at the advancing figure in disbelief. This girl – whatever she was – wasn't a Level E. He couldn't kill her.


	3. Chapter 2 What's A Vampire?

**Thank you to the people who reviewed this story!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight!**

**Chapter 2- What's a Vampire?**

Zero ducked and jumped swiftly to the side, causing the girl to zoom straight past her target and crash headlong into the bush behind him with an extremely loud _thud_. As she made contact with the frozen ground, snow was sent flying into the cold winter air, causing a mini blizzard to rage around her. Pulling out his gun as a precaution, Zero whirled around to face her crumpled heap of a body again. This time he was on guard for her attack.

The girl began shuffling around, obviously trying to escape from the bush which she had become entangled in. "Don't move, vampire!" Zero warned menacingly, still clutching his gun in his clammy fist.

"Vampire?" the girl asked, sounding very baffled.

Her voice was muffled by the snow, so Zero was not entirely sure of what he had heard. He could only watch this time as she detached herself gingerly from the bush. Her hair was now covered in many crumpled, dead leaves and broken branches. A brand new cut had been created on her forehead from the impact of her collision. It was bleeding profusely. Her eyes, filled with confusion, had faded back to a distinctive and brilliant sapphire blue. She cocked her head to one side in bewilderment at what he had said. "What is a 'vampire'?" she asked clearly in a slow and quiet voice.

It was as if she had never heard the word before. Zero stepped back in shock. He didn't understand at all. How could this strange girl not know what a vampire was, when she herself was obviously one? Even humans knew what vampires were? It didn't make any sense to him at all.

Zero stared at the girl, wide-eyed. How was it possible that she had never heard of a vampire before? The wind howled as he wondered, sending a cold flurry of snow over the empty street once again. He noticed the girl shiver as it blew past her – she was wearing only a pair of flimsy grey pajamas, with no shoes at all. Her lips, toes and fingers were turning an unhealthy blue colour, and the open cut on her forehead was dripping blood steadily onto the tip of her nose. Realizing that he had to do something, regardless of the situation, Zero knelt down and pulled her out of the snow where she had been sitting. "Here," he said, taking off his red school tie and wrapping it around the girl's forehead, protecting her injury. "Come with me. You'll catch pneumonia if you stay out here any longer."

The girl nodded, but didn't move from her position. Sighing, Zero took her hand and steered her into the warmth of his apartment, vaguely wondering if it was even possible for vampires to get pneumonia anyway.

Laying the girl down on his bed (she had collapsed from the exhaustion on the journey), Zero thought about what she had been through and done to him. Although it was true that she had tried to attack him, he wasn't sure if it was really her fault – she didn't even seem to know what a vampire was. He pictured the Chairman in his mind. He would be so unhappy if he found out that Zero had killed an 'innocent' vampire. "She's still a vampire, even though she doesn't seem to know it," he muttered to himself, noticing out of his peripheral vision that the girl's violent shivering had finally subsided. "She should heal quickly. I'll take her back to the school. He can decide."

Whilst staring at his odd new companion's sleeping figure, Zero realized how tired he was after his eventful night. He felt his eyes droop as he rested his head on the corner of the slightly messy bed.

Opening his eyes hastily, Zero found that the sunlight was now streaking through the curtain. It was morning. He deduced that he must have fallen asleep whilst sitting by his bed. It was then that he remembered what had happened the night before. He remembered about the strange girl who had unconsciously tried to attack him. Looking up to see what had become of the girl; Zero noticed that the bed was now empty (though a little messed up). She had disappeared.

After twenty minutes of searching every inch of the apartment for the girl, Zero found her attempting to climb through an open window in the bathroom. "What are you doing?" he asked in surprise.

The girl blinked her eyes as if the answer was perfectly clear, but didn't say a word. She turned her attention back to the window, shifting one leg over the side and preparing to jump.

"Stop it!" Zero said hurriedly, pulling her away to the other side of the room. "I'm going to take you to the school. Then you can go and see the Chairman. What's your name?"

The girl gazed at him constantly for about a minute, her eyes fixed and staring. "Kaiya." she replied eventually, in a very small voice, looking at his silvery hair with an expression of interest on her face.

"C'mon then," he said, towing her towards the front door by the arm.

They trudged down the street in complete silence. Kaiya hadn't spoken a word since they had begun their trek to the school. Still in her pajamas, with Zero's tie wrapped around her head like a Christmas decoration, she looked quite odd as they marched through the snowy street outside resembling a very strange parade feature. Zero could feel many eyes on them both as he guided her through the town. It made him feel uncomfortable, but he still gripped her hand tightly as they walked along. He didn't know where she would wander off, to or what she would do if he let go. He decided not to risk it. She was refusing to walk independently, forcing Zero to drag her along like a disobedient puppy. "Hurry up," he called to her, annoyed, "Do I have to drag you the entire way there? Walk."

Kaiya blinked once again, but didn't move an inch. It seemed that blinking was her main method of communication. Why wouldn't she speak? Zero wondered how long she had been in the hospital for and why. Maybe she was afraid of talking or something? Sighing, he continued to pull her along in the direction of Cross Academy.

"We're here," he told her as they approached the gate. "Try not to make a scene. The students will think that something strange is going on."

_It is strange, _he thought to himself privately as he opened the gate one-handed. _What happened to this girl?_

She didn't even know that she was a vampire. She didn't even know what a vampire _was. _All of the humans in the day class knew what a vampire was, even if they didn't believed it to be true. Wasn't it a kind of legend (even though most people didn't know that it was actually true)? Had she been in that psychiatric hospital for her entire life? Contemplating this idea, he watched her gawk at the snow, trees and large iron gates intently. It looked to Zero like she had never seen, or at least not seen in a very long time, these ordinary things before.

The pair walked into the school grounds together. Zero watched as Kaiya once again stared around in awe of her surroundings. He let go of her hand to open the door to the main building. In an instant she had run off, to climb the big stone wall in an attempt to escape from him. "Hey!" he shouted, running after her, "Come back!"

By the time that they reached the Chairman's office, both Zero and Kaiya were panting and exceptionally tired. She had tried to escape a further five times. Zero was very angry at her for making him chase her for so long. Without letting go of her hand this time, he knocked three times on the wooden door before walking inside with Kaiya trailing behind him.


	4. Chapter 3 Adoption

**Thank you to the people who reviewed this story!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight :D**

**Chapter 3- Adoption**

Chairman Cross was sitting at his desk, sifting happily between one of the many photo albums which he owned. His clothes were as eccentric as ever and his hair was in its usual messy brown ponytail. "Ah, Kiryu-kun!" he greeted cheerfully, spotting Zero's pale face in the doorway of the small office. "Come in! How have you been lately?"

Smiling, he motioned towards his (self-proclaimed) adopted son and beckoned him to enter the room properly. Zero ignored his question as he pulled Kaiya, who had been cowering behind him, into the open. The Chairman's eyes widened as he took in her disheveled hair, gaunt skin and ripped clothes. Cuts and bruises were still etched painfully across her entire body, right up to the massive gash on her forehead covered by Zero's tie. "Who is she, Kiryu-kun?" he asked sadly.

Walking over to her huddled figure, he placed a coat around her shivering shoulders. "Her name's Kaiya." Zero replied hurriedly, "I found her last night in the bushes. She's a vampire, though she doesn't even know what that is."

Without stopping to answer the Chairman's evident questions, he continued. "I thought you'd want to take her in, since you appear to love adopted children so much. Goodbye."

Without even so much as a wave, he turned around and headed towards the open door. Before he could make it out, however, the Chairman had caught up to him. Pulling him back towards the centre of the room, he gave him a sponge and antiseptic cream. "I can't fix her up all by myself, you know," he scolded, shaking his head. "Go and fix her up while I lay down a bed."

"But I have school." Zero protested weakly.

"Missing school was never a problem for you in the past," the Chairman pointed out. "Now go help her out. I'm sure she'd rather you do it anyway. She's never seen me before in her life."

_She hadn't _seen_ me, either, _Zero thought irritably, _at least not until twelve hours ago._

He grabbed her hand again and towed her into the Chairman's private bathroom. He did not want her running away again. He'd had enough running for one day.

"Why do I have to do this?" Zero muttered bitterly under his breath as he unscrewed the bottle of the cream.

He surveyed the girl's appearance. Her arms and legs were covered in hundreds of tiny little cuts and bruises. He figured that she must have lost a lot of blood for the cuts to not be healed yet. Sighing, he squirted a tiny bit of the cream onto his fingers. He started to rub it into the cuts on Kaiya's arms, but she shivered and jumped away instantly at the cream's touch. She began trying to wipe it off onto her tatty pajama cuffs as she backed away from Zero. "You have to put it on," he explained, sighing, "It only stings a little bit."

Slowly she edged her way back over to him and allowed him to dress her many cuts. He began rolling on the Chairman's white bandages, with a strange feeling of déjà vu.

_Was I like her four and a half years ago?_ he wondered.

He would never forget that day. It remained stamped upon his mind permanently. He couldn't forget. That day, his entire world had fallen to pieces. His parents had been murdered, his brother had deserted him, and he himself had been bitten by a pureblood – therefore destined to become the one thing which he hated the most, a vampire. Exactly like this girl, he had been taken in by the Chairman. That was the day which he had met her. Yuuki.

He could still feel her gentle touch as she had nervously sponged the blood off his neck and shoulders. She had been so kind to him – but she was gone. Or rather – she had been killed and replaced by some vampire girl. Zero was sure that the Yuuki that he had known was never going to come back and smile ever again.

Zero stopped his thoughts hurriedly and brought himself back to reality. Telling himself that he had to focus on the present, not the past, he finished bandaging up Kaiya's arms and legs. All of her exposed skin aside from her head was now covered in winding bandages. She resembled an Egyptian mummy dressed in strange grey pajamas. Although her body was now treated, her head wound still remained. Moving onto the slash on her forehead, he went to undo the knot which he had made previously in his school tie to cover the wound. He had only just begun to loosen it when she slapped his hand away viciously. She held onto the makeshift bandage protectively as she glared silently at him. It was as if it was a national treasure which she had to guard at all times. _Why does she want my tie? _Zero thought as he screwed the lid back on the cream bottle.

He stared at the tie, wondering why anyone would want to keep it. It was grimy and covered in a combination of dirt and crusted blood. Wound around her head, it was a very odd fashion accessory. If there was one thing that Zero was sure of, it was that Kaiya had a very strange taste in clothes.

After two attempts at treating the wound with fierce resistance from the opposing side, Zero gave up. "Done," he told her dismissively, packing up, "Go and find the Chairman. He'll help you now."

Kaiya didn't move from the bathroom floor. Her large, unblinking sapphire blue eyes stared straight through him. She wasn't going to move. "Do I have to drag you there as well?" he grumbled, taking her hand once again.

The two found the Chairman in his little kitchen, cooking. He had prepared a homemade stir fry for the two's lunch. As usual, he sat there looking extremely proud of himself whilst Zero gagged on every bite. He no longer had the energy to tell him how indigestible his cooking was. No matter what he or Yuuki ever said, the message just never seemed to get through. On the other hand, Kaiya wolfed the food down as eagerly as if she hadn't eaten anything for an entire week. The Chairman positively beamed with radiance as he watched. It was the first time that anyone ad ever eaten his food so enthusiastically. "Zero, why didn't you clean up her head?" he scolded fondly. "Your tie isn't exactly hygienic, you know. I don't want it contaminating my food."

"She wouldn't let me," he replied, annoyed.

The Chairman ignored him and continued to shake his head. "Speaking of which… "he said thoughtfully, "She'll need some new clothes, won't she? She can't just wear those pajamas all of the time. They're ragged. You'll have to take her."

"What?" Zero complained.

"You've already skipped half a day of school. Spend the other half in town. Buy some new clothes for her." he insisted, "Now go. These are orders from your Chairman."

"But – "

"Go! We could always invite Kaname-kun over for dinner instead," he suggested with an evil smile.

"Fine, I'll go," Zero sighed, defeated.

"Good!" the Chairman praised, "I knew you'd come around to it. Whilst you two are gone, I'm going to try and find this hospital place where she came from."

Zero took Kaiya's hand and reluctantly shuffled in the direction of the door, still reeling from the threat of dinner with Kaname.

Together, the two walked through the forest surrounding the school. Zero was grumbling. Why couldn't the Chairman have taken her? He was the one who was so desperate to adopt her after all. He watched as Kaiya struggled against his strong grip in yet another effort to escape. Neither of them where looking forward to this.


	5. Chapter 4 Clueless

**I'm sorry that this took so long to write!**

**Thank you to the people who review this story, esp. sapphireheart22! Glad you like it :D**

**Disclaimer – I don't own Vampire Knight!**

**Chapter 4 – Clueless**

Zero gazed blankly into the air as he surveyed the town slowly. It was no longer the deserted, dark place which it had been last night. Children were chattering, mothers were gossiping and shop owners gleefully called out to passersby. He still couldn't believe that he'd somehow been dragged into this. "Well where do you want to go, then?" he asked wearily, swiveling around to look at his 'prisoner'.

Kaiya blinked her eyes once again and stared at him intently, her heart shaped face taking on an innocent expression. Zero heaved a sigh as he hauled her along to the very nearest clothing shop (not noticing in the slightest that it was a men's suit store). After only a day with this strange girl, he had learnt not to hold his breath for any answers.

After eventually finding what Zero considered to be an 'ordinary' shop (though actually he hadn't recognized that it was a vintage hippie wear joint), the odd pair wandered inside. A small tinkling sound from the bell above announced their arrival. The shop was completely empty. Dusty vintage hippie outfits lay neatly assorted in racks, whilst the wilder outfits hung from the roof on dangerously thin pieces of string. "Choose what you want," he directed, "If you're good and don't run away I'll take you to get some ramen."

He let go of her hand. Zero knew that he had to act fast. Instantly, he shifted to cover her escape route – the door. Kaiya scowled, frowning. Instead of escaping, as she would have done if the opportunity had arisen, she ran madly around the room like a dog of its leash at the park. Her hair flew wildly, a big black rain cloud as she ran. Zooming past Zero, she rustled up a fast breeze that made his silvery hair fall over his face. He sighed. She didn't seem to be choosing anything at all. Instead, she was enjoying the feeling of running freely for the first time in nearly fifteen hours. As Zero stood by the blocked fly screen door, waiting, he finally realized what he had neglected noticing before – that the shop was full of fluorescently coloured t shirts, floral jackets and oversized peace necklaces. _Why is it so impossible to find a normal clothes shop in this town?_ He thought irritably, oblivious to the fact that he had walked past five perfectly ordinary places in the past fifteen minutes.

Promptly, Zero created a human battering ram with his body and allowed Kaiya to freely slam straight into him on one of her many endless laps around the store. He guided her through back through the hippie shop's entrance. Unfortunately, he released her from his grasp for merely a second. Straight away she was running back inside as fast as she could.

"Come back," he protested angrily as he followed her, "Look somewhere else."

She wasn't listening. She had stopped running and was standing as still as a lion waiting to pounce, completely mesmerized in the sight of an orange poncho hanging from the ceiling on a purple line of twine. The colour was so blindingly bright that it hurt Zero's eyes just to look at it. It truly was the most hideous item of clothing that he had ever encountered in his life.

Kaiya leaped upwards, carefully dislodging the poncho from its hanging place on the tall ceiling. She purely stood there, admiring the garment. Her eyes sparkled as she ran her fingers along the green stitching and patted the polyester material. As if it were made of the finest gold, she placed it gingerly in Zero's arms. He tried to put it back where it truly belonged, in the store never to be seen again. He was met by the fiercest resistance that he'd ever experienced. It was worse than the fighting of every single Level E that Zero had hunted put together. Kaiya's face grew dark with pure anger. Her eyes shone with evil as she attacked, flailing madly and charging towards Zero's unsuspecting figure. Caught off guard, she punched him seventeen times straight before pushing him over into a gigantic pile of broken purple and orange shirts. Battered and bruised from the battle, he reluctantly bought the poncho, Kaiya furiously kicking him all the way until he'd done it.

Zero thrust the hideous thing into her arms as quickly as was humanly possible. He headed down the crowded street in search of a normal shop, eager to get away from the pit of hell (the poncho) and its master. Glimpsing rapidly behind him, he saw that Kaiya had already slipped the poncho on over her old grey pajamas, where it clashed horrifically with Zero's bloodstained tie. Her faced glowed with happiness as she skipped to catch up with him. It was as if she had now transformed into a completely different person from the malicious warrior that she had been two minutes ago. Every so often she would stop to gape at her reflection in various store windows. Clearly she absolutely adored her new outfit. This girl had the weirdest taste in clothes that Zero had ever seen. It was as if she had never seen anything nicer than her new poncho ever.

After several more strange clothing purchases, Kaiya had two bulging bags containing an assortment of outfits, each even weirder than the next. She bounced lightly in a happy, bubbly manner, the complete opposite of Zero. Utterly exhausted, Zero steered her in the direction of a comfortable, warm cafe. He had decided to go and get ramen anyway, despite the fact that Kaiya had been a total pain in the neck. Ramen always cheered him up.

Zero was happy to see that his favourite ramen place was still open, even though Kaiya's shopping had taken all afternoon and most of the night to complete. Sitting down at the counter in the toasty cafe, filled with the smell of cooking, he ordered two bowls of shio ramen, his favourite. He had come here many times before when he had skipped school or been hunting. However, it had been quite a while – nearly four months – since he'd last visited this place.

"Here ya go," the shopkeeper said, handing Zero and Kaiya two massive steaming bowls of ramen and two smaller bowls of rice. Zero dug in – he was starving after all. The only thing he'd eaten today was a few bites of Chairman Cross's horrendous home cooking, which hardly could be counted as food. He looked to see if Kaiya was eating the food. She was siphoning the noodles up at a super human pace, barely stopping to breathe. The vegetables and meat had already vanished from the bowl, leaving only the soup behind. The very second that she had completely devoured the noodles she lifted the bowl up to her lips and began slurping it up. He was very surprised that she hadn't managed to spill anything or even burn herself on the scalding liquid. She then moved on to the rice, her chopsticks moving so fast that they were a blur of colour.

Kaiya finished her ramen in what Zero believed to be record time. Not even one tiny drop of soup was left behind in the bowl and her rice container was left spotless. It looked like it had been through the dishwasher already. Her hair and face were sticky with bits of noodles and rice, giving her the appearance of someone who had just been in a blizzard. Her blue eyes immediately began eagerly eyeing Zero's partially eaten bowl. Quickly, he edged over to the edge of table as far away as possible from Kaiya. He knew that hungry look. Regrettably for him, this cunning move was in vain. Jumping up in a flash, Kaiya slapped his bowl away over to her side of the table. Before he could react, she had begun inhaling the meal at double the speed from before.

Zero stormed ahead back towards the school, hoping to get rid of Kaiya as quickly as he could. He was so irritated by her oddball ways that he failed to noticed that her eyes had changed from blue to a glowing blood red. Once again, she had the eyes of a vampire.


	6. Chapter 5 The New Student

**Ello! XD sorry that I've been updating this so slowly…**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Vampire Knight XD**

**Chapter 5 – A New Student**

Once again she pounced, aiming for Zero's neck. This time, he was too quick for her. He dodged as her form came pummeling towards him and turned around, his Bloody Rose poised, ready to shoot. Kaiya shot straight past him in her urge to attack, plummeting into the hard ground beside him. Slamming into the dirt, she looked stunned and confused as her eyes slowly faded back to their natural blue. Her small face and new clothes were covered in the brown soil which had cushioned her fall. She looked so upset and afraid that even Zero, who hated vampires to the core, could tell that it hadn't really been her fault.

"Come on," he ordered irritably, seizing her arm in an attempt to stop himself from shooting her on the spot.

Kaiya followed meekly. She obviously thought that she had done something wrong. She was twisting her own fingers in some sort of self-punishment behind Zero's back.

_What was the Chairman thinking? _he thought angrily as he led her back to Cross Academy with a cold shoulder, _How could he forget to give her blood tablets?_

He turned around to face her, causing Kaiya to instantly stop her secret penalty. Rummaging in his coat pockets, he took out the small black package which he hated so much. Shaking it, he poured out two smooth white pills. "Take these," he instructed, "They'll suppress the urges for blood."

Kaiya merely stared at the pill, he mouth slightly open so that her pearly teeth were visible. Zero sighed. "Like this," he said, taking out another blood tablet from the case and demonstrating.

Blinking in recognition, she copied him, shuddering as she swallowed the bitter medicine. It was the first edible thing that he'd seen her eat which she hadn't enjoyed immensely.

"Let's go back," he suggested wearily, running his hands through his messy hair. "The Chairman will be worried about you."

The sun was rising, cloaking the sky with a new light. In the school's horse stables, Zero was grooming White Lily carefully. It was morning. He had managed to escape Kaiya for the night by saying that he couldn't take her with her on his hunter duties. He was now on his own. Zero sighed in relief. He was enjoying the peace and quiet at last. Sensing his contentment, the old horse whinnied softly in agreement.

"Zero-kun?"

He looked up in surprise at the new voice. A small girl with wavy auburn hair and a kind face was standing at the entrance to the stables. It was Sayori Wakaba, Yuki's old best friend. She was already dressed in her black school uniform, even though it was still only very early in the day.

"The chairman wants to see you," she told him plainly.

"Alright, Wakaba," he replied, wondering what the Chairman wanted and hoping that it wasn't something to do with Kaiya. "I'll go."

He gave White Lily one last pat before putting the brush away. Following her out of the stable, he began reluctantly heading to the school building and the Chairman's office.

"What is it Chair–"Zero began as he entered the small room.

His mouth fell open in astonishment at what he saw. Kaiya was sitting quietly in the wooden chair beside the desk. Her midnight black hair was as messy as ever and Zero's tie was still roped comically around her head. However, she was no longer wearing her strange assortment of new outfits, or even her old grey pajamas from the hospital. Staring at him silently, she was dressed in her pristine new Cross Academy uniform. "What are you doing?" he asked in a cross between disbelief and anger. "You can't put her in the _Day Class_. She's dangerous!"

The Chairman shrugged, as if it didn't matter in the slightest. "You worry too much," he scolded warmly, shaking his head, "She is no more dangerous than you are, Kiryu-kun. I'm sure that she'll be a great member of your class."

He sighed dramatically in an 'Oh what should I do with you, Kiryu?' kind of way, utterly oblivious to the ominous aura which was steadily wafting over from the doorway.

Zero was still fuming right up into the moment when one of the Day Class teachers stood up to introduce Kaiya to the students.

"Listen up, everyone!" he stated importantly, attempting to gain the attention of the slightly bored students. "We would like to make an announcement before first period."

The students stared blankly into his face, their eyes glazed over with memories of the previous holidays. Clearly they weren't that interested in whatever the teacher had to say.

"Come on," the teacher urged to the figure standing in the shadows, unknown to everyone except Zero.

Nervously, Kaiya wandered up to where he was standing. Now that she was in the open, murmuring immediately began amongst the crowd of students as they noticed her odd appearance. Zero could see everyone's eyes on her weird hair and accessories. She fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Introduce yourself," the teacher instructed.

Kaiya looked uneasy as she surveyed the whispering audience. Twitching, she adjusted her head scarf and blinked rapidly. The air remained still.

"Are you shy?" the teacher asked sympathetically, stepping in and breaking the awkward silence, "Everyone, this is Kaiya. She is Kiryu-kun's cousin and has never been to a proper school before because of sickness. Please be kind and friendly."

He placed a hand on her small shoulder and guided her to the desk next to Zero.

"Sit here, next to your cousin," he encouraged her kindly, "He'll show you around."

Zero frowned as she sat down. No-one ever went near him at school. Even the teachers were afraid of his attitude and scary expressions. Surely she was too. Why was the Chairman so desperate for him to be with Kaiya twenty-four seven?

By break time, it was clear that Kaiya was the most unusual student ever to come to Cross Academy. For the entire hour of lessons, she had stared perplexedly at the class work. She had not been able to answer any of the questions asked. Bored, Zero spied on her as she fiddled anxiously with the ballpoint pen which had been given to her by the Chairman. She seemed distressed about her work.

She didn't appear to have the faintest idea what to do. It was clear that she had never attended a school before.

Alone, Kaiya sat on the desk during break, gazing meaninglessly into space. Every pair of eyes was on her. Curious students stared at her excessively from a safe distance. No-one was brave enough to approach her. Whispered theories were zooming around the entire Day Class as people speculated about her mysterious 'illness' and strange habits. It was certain that every single member of the Day Class was immensely interested in her past and weird ways. However, not one person dared to make eye contact with the mysterious new girl. Instead, they bravely confronted Zero with questions, who was her 'cousin', after all.

"Kiryu-kun?" one mousy haired girl asked timidly, quiet as a mouse. "Are you and Kaiya-san close?"

"What happened to her? Is she sick?" another tried, just as edgy.

The two were shaking uncontrollably as they waited for Zero's explanation. Using his well practiced death glare, he told the two girls to go away silently. It didn't take them long to get the message. Terrified, the poor girls scurried off as fast as possible. After they had left, he turned his fierce look onto the unsuspecting students who had begun to slowly creep closer to ask their own questions.


	7. Chapter 6 The Search

**Sorry for the ultra lateness! *hangs head in shame***

**Disclaimer- I do not own Vampire Knight**

**Chapter 6 – The Search**

The class began to file in for afternoon lessons. Zero's head was on his desk as he closed his eyes with exhaustion. Although he was no longer a Guardian, it still seemed that the only time he managed to get sleep was during class.

He was deep into a dream where Yuuki was still a human when he heard his name called from far away. Reluctantly, Zero began to stir slightly. Couldn't they see how tired he was? He needed to sleep.

"Kiryu!"

Lifting up his head, he looked around in surprise. Why was someone saying his name?

"Kiryu!" the teacher called impatiently from the front of the classroom. "The Chairman wants to see you!"

Zero rolled his eyes. Was this yet another stupid meeting about Kaiya and her stupid problems? The Chairman was being even more annoying than usual lately. It seemed like he was annoying him at every possible opportunity. Reluctantly, he rose from his chair and headed out of the room, stirring many whispers amongst the confused occupants.

When Zero entered the Chairman's office for the second time that day he was surprised to find that he was nowhere in sight. Instead, two strange people wearing doctor's coats were sitting in the chair behind the large desk which Zero had once cracked in half.

"Ah, so are you the prefect?" the woman asked, hitching her glasses further her thin nose.

"Not really any –" Zero began hesitantly.

"Good!" the male interrupted, grasping his hand tightly in a firm handshake, "The Chairman said that you'd be here!"

Zero flinched at the man's touch. Stepping back slightly, he put up his guard.

"So, why do you want me?" he asked, resisting the urge to take out his Bloody Rose in defense.

"We are looking for an escaped patient," the woman explained, "She is potentially extremely dangerous and needs to be contained as soon as possible."

Both of the strange new doctors took out their shiny plastic business cards to show him. The woman's said that her name was Hiroko Maruyama, whilst the man's stated that he was Fudo Fujimoto. Also on the cards was their workplace – Sea Green Children's Psychiatric Hospital. Zero instantly recognized who they were looking for. It was the same address which had been embroidered onto the tattered grey pajamas that Kaiya had worn when he had found her a few nights ago.

The two psychiatrists forcibly led Zero into a chair in the office.

"We have a suspicion that you came into contact with the patient a few days ago in the town which resides not far from this school." Maruyama explained, her grey eyes boring endlessly into Zero's violet ones.

He knew that he couldn't let these doctors find Kaiya. Obviously, they had somehow managed not to notice the fact that she was a vampire for some time already, but who knew what they could eventually discover? Deciding that the best thing to do in the situation was to play dumb, Zero put on his best (and not very good) confused face.

"Really?" he asked in a way which he hoped sounded innocent (whilst failing miserably), "What does this patient person look like?"

"Here is a photo." Fujimoto said, handing Zero a small piece of crumpled paper which looked like a criminal mug shot.

A small girl's earnest face stared out at him through the old photograph. The long black hair, sapphire blue eyes and heart shaped face were unmistakable. It was defiantly Kaiya.

"Hmmm…" Zero murmured, "Don't recognize it… Why exactly am I under suspicion again?"

"You are not under suspicion, Kiryu-kun," Maruyama insisted, shaking her head in alarm, "It's just that a source of ours is certain that they saw a Cross Academy student of your description with the patient in question yesterday."

"How do you know it was me?" he asked, trying to act confused, "I wasn't in town yesterday. Ask the Chairman! I was right here in school. I would never truant, especially with an escaped asylum patient. It was probably someone else."

He was lying through his teeth, but hopefully he would fool them. It seemed to have worked so far. In his opinion, he was doing a reasonably good job of playing the type of person which he wanted to punch the most.

"Well, to be honest, your appearance is very… distinguishable." Fujimoto explained. "Not many young Cross Academy students have such a distinctive shade of silvery hair."

"It's not a bad thing at all!" his partner added hurriedly, "You're unique!"

He had been found because of his _hair colour_? That did not sound professional at all to Zero. That was the best evidence these people had? They would never find her.

"Well, I'm sorry," Zero apologized, standing up quickly to escape the interrogation session, "I honestly have no idea what you two are talking about. Good luck trying to capture this … Kaiya, was it?"

Instantly the two doctors stared at him suspicion. Zero gulped. What had he said wrong?

"How do you know her name?" Fujimoto asked icily, narrowing his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have no recollection of mentioning the fact that her name is Kaiya."

"Shit," Zero mumbled under his breath.

He had totally forgotten that he wasn't meant to know her name. Why had he been so stupid? Usually he was great at lying. Well, he and Kaiya were completely dead now.

"Seriously, I've never met her in my life," he tried lamely.

"Well, if you have never met this girl," Maruyama asked innocently, "You won't mind us taking a look around for her, will you?"

"Go ahead," Zero said through his teeth.

He knew that he mustn't let them find her, but how was he supposed to stop them when they already had him under suspicion? There was only one solution. He would have to track down Kaiya before they could. Luckily for him, he had an advantage. He knew exactly where Kaiya was at that very moment.

Rushing, he took the long way back to class to avoid being seen by the searchers. Running through the twirling corridors, his mind was full of dread for the moment when Kaiya – and the existence of vampires – would be discovered. After what seemed like a century, he finally arrived at the door of the classroom, panting. The teacher looked up from his mathematics lecture, startled.

"Kiryu?" he asked inquisitively, "Does the Chairman need something?"

All of the students, glad for an excuse to avoid doing their quadratic equations, turned excitedly to look at the scene which was evolving in the doorway.

"Umm, the Chairman would like to see my… cousin as well," he invented wildly, hoping that they would not ask any questions.

A expression look of relief flooded the teacher's face for a split second, before regaining its composure. It was clear that the teachers were just as terrified of the new girl as the students.

"Kiryu," he called, leaving Zero momentarily confused before he remembered that Kaiya was posing with his last name, "The Chairman would also like to see you."

Silently, Kaiya scuffled over to the front, looking confused. Blinking, she stared at Zero as if to ask 'What's going on?'. There was no time to answer her questions. She would have to remain in the dark for now.

"C'mon," he urged, "Let's go."

Soon, Kaiya had been smuggled out of the crowded school building onto the deserted grounds. Although puffing, they were safe at last. Zero was glad that he hadn't needed to drag Kaiya there again. He hated being touched. Sliding onto the ground, he leant against the wall, pleased that the danger was over. Still baffled about the situation, Kaiya glanced around the grounds curiously, trying to discover why she had been rushed out of class.

After twenty minutes of hiding, Zero spotted the two doctors leaving at last from his hiding place. Progressing slowly, their shoulders were hunched over as they walked back to their van, dragging their feet behind them. It looked as if searching had taken up all of their energy. From beside him on the ground, he felt Kaiya go rigid as she saw the two. She was terrified. Letting out a small whimper, she dashed out of the grounds before Zero had a chance to stop her.


	8. Chapter 7 A Quiet Voice

**After much pestering from my sister, I didn't take too long with this chapter!**

**BTW, the 'chair guy' is the Chairman. Just so you know. XD**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Vampire Knight.**

**Chapter 7 – A Quiet Voice**

Cursing under his breath, Zero carefully followed her distinctive scent as soon as he was completely sure that the two interfering doctors had left the grounds forever in defeat. He could feel the darkness of the evergreen trees looming over him menacingly as he searched deeper and deeper into the mysterious forest which surrounded the grounds of the Academy. Her scent was steadily becoming fainter as he delved further into the heart of the woods, but still he continued on. In his eyes, although she was incredibly annoying, Kaiya was simply too dangerous to be left alone at any time.

It was almost nightfall by the time he stumbled across a small clearing surrounded by the vast area of what seemed to be never-ending trees. He noticed a small, familiar figure hunched up underneath the gnarled trunk of an ancient tree, illuminated softly by the crescent moon. One sight was all it took. It was definitely Kaiya.

Her shoulders were quivering slightly as she held her dark head on her bony knees. She was making tiny sniffing noises as she crouched. They were so quiet that if Zero had not been a vampire, he probably would not have been able to hear them at all. At first, he wondered if she was ill or injured. Soon, he realized that she was crying softly into her lap. What had those people done to her? As he approached her, she glanced up in alarm at the sound of his footsteps before realizing that it was only him. Reassured, she returned her head to her lap. Her once pristine uniform was now in tatters. She had obviously snagged it on stray branches in her eagerness to escape the two strangers. Despite her destroyed clothes, Zero's tie was still firmly wound round her forehead, although now there was a large amount of forest dirt stained across it in addition to the crusted blood from before. Her hands, feet and face were also a dark shade of brown.

When Kaiya turned her head to look at him again, her eyebrows were furrowed in pure determination and anger. He had never seen her look so intense before. It unnerved him.

"I am not going back," she told him bitterly in her strange little airy voice; "You and that chair guy are planning to make me go back to that place, aren't you?"

Zero's eyes widened as he heard her speak for the first time since that first snowy night. Before he could respond, she jumped up spontaneously. Firmly, she pushed him violently across the clearing, full of a new energy.

"I'm not going!" she cried frantically, much louder than before, "You've no idea how long I spent trying to escape that place!"

She looked so terrified that it made Zero shiver. Why was she accusing him?

"What are you talking about?" he asked angrily.

She wasn't listening. Instead, she continued her rant, her voice growing louder and louder with each word that she spoke.

"I know that I may be psychotic, but I still don't belong in that place! Even my brother –"

Suddenly she evidently appeared to recognize what she was about to say and trailed off instantly, looking nervous. Zero frowned. What was she saying? He wouldn't have described her as psychotic, more so as clueless about life. If being hopeless at life made you crazy, then he would have been in trouble for almost five years.

"What are you saying?" he asked, lowering the heated tones in his voice.

She blinked, reverting once again to silence. Zero sighed in frustration. "Fine then, don't say anything. Anyway, I didn't go looking for those people. They came looking for _me_."

An expression of confusion flashed briefly across her face as she comprehended what Zero had said, although her mouth remained firmly closed. Once again, she was a mystery to the world.

After they had returned, the Chairman immediately whisked Kaiya away for a warm bath. Zero was left alone to wait in the lounge room in his private quarters. Staring at the white walls, covered in photos of Yuuki at numerous ages, he felt a small wrench in his chest. From where he was he could hear the Chairman shouting instructions through the closed bathroom door to Kaiya. He was saying something about Yuuki's old hair dryer which she had left behind. He stiffened at the mention of her name, surrounded. Digging into his pockets, he found his small packet of blood tablets and quickly downed five of them in a row.

Zero blinked in surprise as, twenty minutes later, a strange flash of pink flew across the small room. It was Kaiya, dressed in a pair of fluffy flannel pajamas. Sniffling, she shut herself into the spare bedroom across the hallway and locked the door. Half a minute later, her howling sobs filled the room. Soon, the Chairman himself came through and sat down on one of the squashy armchair, also dressed in his own unique night clothes. "You going to bed, Kiryu-kun?' he asked sleepily, yawning loudly as he adjusted his night cap, "I have a spare pair of pajamas, if you'd like."

Rolling his eyes, Zero ignored the question and instead stared quizzically at the door in which Kaiya was hiding behind. It now sounded as if she was banging her head against the floor in there. What had the Chairman done to her?

"Oh, don't worry about her. I took off that scarf of yours to wash, and she didn't take it too well," he explained sheepishly.

Zero declined the Chairman's previous offer and instead stayed in the lounge room, promising that he would sleep. Eventually, the Chairman retired to his room, leaving him on his own. Once he was sure that he was finally sound asleep, (the banging noises in Kaiya's room had long since been replaced with an uneasy silence) Zero carefully opened the window sill. He made sure not to let it creak. Balancing carefully, he crouched on the ledge and jumped down onto the ground below. Landing perfectly, he dusted himself off quickly and headed off for the town. He had been given no hunter assignments for tonight. Instead, he had decided to go and investigate Sea Green Children's Psychiatric Hospital. Kaiya wasn't going to say what had happened in that place. Telling himself that he needed to make sure that they didn't have a clue about the well kept secret of vampires, Zero had decided to discover it for himself. He needed something to keep his mind off his blood thirst anyway.

**Sorry if this is too short… I'll try to make the next one longer…**


	9. Chapter 8 A Strange Letter

**I'm SORRY that this took ages AGAIN! I must update faster…**

**Anyways, I do not own Vampire Knight or the characters (though Zero is AWESOME!) **

**Chapter 8 – A Strange Letter**

The midnight sky was deep navy in colour and foreboding as Zero crept through the deserted Academy gates. It was still the middle of winter, and so Zero could feel the heat of his breath in the cool dark air. The moon was new and very few stars lit up the sky. As a result it was one of the darkest nights of the year. He could feel his hunger growing steadily from the depths of his throat, as it had done faithfully each night since everything had changed. Sighing, he continued on his journey. He didn't want to think about that tonight.

The hospital was a large, mud brick building on the outskirts of the little town where Kaiya had been initially discovered. The architecture was not modern. Zero guessed that it had been built in around the 1950's or so. Rose bushes lined the old and cracked walls, adding a splash of colour to the otherwise dull appearance of the place. The name 'Sea Green Children's Psychiatric Hospital' was etched above the entrance in rusty metal lettering. The door itself was made of brown timber. It remained firmly locked and bolted with an iron padlock. Visiting hours had ended for the day. The only way in would be through a nearby window.

Luckily for Zero, there was an open window leading to a small storeroom just ten metres away. As it was on the ground floor, he didn't have to bother climbing up the wall to reach it either. He speculated as to whether or not he would be safe amongst so many sleeping humans. To be on the secure side, he took five blood tablets immediately. However, even as he shuddered with the bitter taste, he knew deep down that there was only one person's blood he wanted.

Zero ducked his head as he clambered in through the old window. The storeroom in which he found himself in after this was small and dusty. It had an air of neglect amongst the forgotten brooms and other cleaning items. Practically everything in sight was completely covered in cobwebs. It was obvious that no-one had been inside this room for a very long time.

After making sure that the coast was clear, Zero snuck out of the storeroom. The door led into a small corridor in the depths of the corridor. There was no sign of any patients or workers in sight. Shadows loomed across the old beige linoleum as he crept along steadily. Each door he passed had a small white label with a black name imprinted on it with block lettering. It was the details of the patients who were sleeping inside the many rooms beyond the worn out doors. There appeared to be hundreds of patients and rooms. Hopefully this search would take up all of Zero's nighttime hours.

As he delved deeper and deeper into the never-ending dark corridors, he eventually stumbled across what looked like the hospital lobby. Shabby chairs and desks surrounded the space, with various equipment scattered across battered benches. To the left, a small room emblazoned with the words 'Visitor's Centre' stood out. Underneath it was a smaller, less noticeable sign stating 'Turn left for the Turtle Clinic and Ward'. Zero realized that the place where he escaped from must have been part of the area were the more disturbed patients were kept in solitary confinement. The less dangerous ones were kept closer to the visiting families. Remembering what the two searchers had said about Kaiya's situation, he quickly assumed that her former room would be far away from this quaint little lobby.

He finally found what he was looking for after scanning the second and third floors on what seemed like an endless search – the door stamped with the name 'Kaiya Hayashi'. Unlike the ones around it, this door was completely ajar. Taking this as an invitation to go in, Zero entered the room.

The bed was stripped and perfectly clean, yet the walls were still covered with various artwork and photos which Zero supposed Kaiya herself or her family had provided. How long exactly had she been in this place? From the vast supply of room decorations, he suspected that she had been living here for five years at the very least.

Rifling through the previously locked draws, Zero searched tirelessly for a file, or some other piece of information which would give him a clue to Kaiya's identity. But he was out of luck. All information must have been removed for the investigation He was just about to turn and head back to the Academy when he noticed a small scrap of ordinary file paper out of the corner of his eye. Leaning in close to decipher the scratchy handwriting, Zero leaned in closer to begin reading the note.

_Dear Kaiya-chan,_ it read in the most appalling writing that he had seen for a long time.

_If you ever read this, I want you to know that I have discovered what happened to you. It took me years of work, and it seems almost unbelievable, but I've checked and double checked. It's definitely right. I need you to know, Kaiya-chan that it is not true what they say. You are not crazy, despite what has happened to you. From that first day when you were just a little girl, I knew that the grown-ups must have been wrong. Now, I, and soon you, have proved it. I can't write it here in case of your nurse finding this note before you do, but meet me as soon as you possibly can at our special place. I'll be waiting._

_Remember, Kaiya-chan, that despite everything, I will always love you and I desperately hope that you will be free once more someday. _

_Love Taro_

As he read, Zero wondered if Kaiya had ever found this letter herself. Perhaps that was why she had escaped the hospital originally? Was that snowy clearing the 'special place' that had been mentioned? Zero fingered the penciled signature at the bottom of the page. Who was this Taro? Was it true that he had discovered some sort of vital secret to this entire mess? More importantly, was this 'secret' the fact that somehow, despite having obviously grown up with humans, Kaiya was definitely a vampire? Zero had to find the mysterious Taro before he potentially exposed the hidden existence of vampires to the humans themselves. Although he hated vampires more than anything else in the world, he could see the dangers that would result from this. There was no way that this information could be leaked to the public.

Pocketing the note, Zero began to sneak back to the storeroom where he had entered the hospital. The only solution would be to ask Kaiya herself about her life in this place. Clearly, she was close to Taro, and she would be the only one who would know where he was. Hopefully she would give him a straight answer. He couldn't take another mysterious silence on her part.


	10. Chapter 9 Unexpected Meeting

**Hello people! XD I'm glad that there are people who like this story! Please review, they really help me!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Vampire Knight in any way. Just Kaiya.**

**Chapter 9 – Unexpected Meeting**

The old town was deathly quiet as Zero headed back to the Academy. All occupants lay at rest in their homes, and there was not a single trace of movement from anywhere. The smallest sliver of sunlight could be seen from the eastern horizon, the only source of light for miles. It was nearly daybreak. Soon this town would become a bustling place bursting with activity. He would have to make himself scarce before that happened. It was best that he sorted this whole matter out before lunchtime. Quickening his pace, he snuck through the deserted alleyways and streets, hastily stuffing Taro's letter into his dark uniform pocket as he did so.

The first thing which Zero noticed when he stepped onto the frozen grounds of Cross Academy was a medium sized silhouette standing in front of the rocky rubble of what used to be the Moon Dormitory. Zero frowned. Surely it couldn't be a student? Although their memories of the Night Class and the existence of vampires had been erased, there was a rumor going round that the old building was cursed. No Day Class student in their right mind would ever dare to approach the mysterious dwelling. So why was someone there now, especially since it was barely five o'clock in the morning?

"Hey you," Zero threatened loudly, approaching the strange offender, "Students are not permitted to leave their dormitories at this time of morning. Go back to bed now."

At the sound of his voice, the figure jumped in surprise ad whipped around. As Zero came closer, he saw that he was not wearing a Cross Academy uniform, rather an expensive looking jumper and light colored jeans. When he saw Zero looming menacingly towards him, the stranger's eyes widened with recognition.

"Kiryu?" he asked bewilderedly. "Why the hell are you here?"

The person was short, at least five centimeters shorter than Zero. His hair was blonde and wavy and his eyes were a magnificent and very distinguishing shade of bright turquoise.

"Aido-Senpai?" he said in astonishment.

For a moment the two just stared at each other. Clearly the last people that they had both expected to see were each other. Zero suddenly became aware of the growing awkwardness of the situation.

"Why are you here?" they asked simultaneously, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Aido folded his arms crossly and glared at Zero.

"I asked first," he insisted untruthfully, "Why are you here, Kiryu?"

Zero resisted the urge to laugh. Aido was exactly the same as he had been six months ago. Some people never change.

"The Chairman pestered me about finishing High School. So here I am." Zero explained in a bored tone, as he had done many times before to a variety of Day Class students whose memories hadn't been erased. "What about you, then?"

"Not telling!" Aido refused stubbornly. "Where's the Chairman?"

Zero ignored the question.

"Hey, I answered you," he pointed out, "You should answer me."

"Fine then," Aido sighed, giving up, "I'm here to give Chairman Cross a very important and _top-secret _message. Happy?"

Zero nodded and shrugged his shoulders wearily.

"Alright then," he replied, turning to leave, "Just don't expect him to actually be awake at this hour."

He began to wander off mockingly, waiting for Aido's reaction.

"Huh?" he spluttered angrily. "Well, I would've stayed in the Moon Dormitory until morning, if _somebody _hadn't blown it to pieces six months ago!"

Zero did not answer. Aido was every bit as annoying as he remembered. He was heavily resisting the urge to punch him cleanly in the face. There was simply no time for his constant complaining.

Noticing that Aido was not following him, Zero turned around. He saw that he was still in front of the Moon Dormitory, examining the ruins.

"Well, come on then," he called impatiently. "You know where the Chairman's office is, don't you?"

Grumbling, Aido caught up, and the strange pair began to walk slowly up to the main stone building of Cross Academy.

The first thing that Aido saw in the Chairman's quarters was a blur of colour. Kaiya had escaped the spare bedroom. Since then she had skillfully hatched a plan to steal back Zero's tie from the washing machine. Her goal had been mere inches from reality, before the two vampires had walked in, forcing her to abandon her mission and run back to her room. Zero sighed. It really was true that some people never changed at all.

"So where is he?" Aido asked irritably.

"He's probably asleep." Zero repeated, "Like I told you."

"What was that, Kiryu?" the Chairman asked, opening the door to his bedroom.

Still dressed in his long blue nightgown and cap, he yawned loudly before noticing Aido.

"Aido-kun?" he asked in disbelief. "What brings you here to see me?"

"I have a very important message for you," he replied pompously, straightening his posture notably.

Zero noticed Kaiya's small oval shaped sapphire eye peeking from a crack in her bedroom door. She was getting bored by herself – or she might have just be planning yet another rescue attempt.

"Who from?" Kaien queried, a fleeting expression of doubt crossing his usual happy face.

"Kaname-sama," Aido replied.

Zero's stomach lurched at the mention of_ his_ name. Had something happened? Kaname had not once tried to contact the Academy or Kaien in the six months since Rido had been defeated. Overwhelmed, he sunk onto the loungeroom chair. It was mere seconds before he caught Aido staring oddly at him.

"Anyway," he continued, shifting his gaze from Zero, "Here is your message: Kaname-sama is interested in negotiating peace, but due to safety reasons doesn't think that it is appropriate for direct contact. If you have any questions please use me."

Wondering how long it had taken Aido to memorize all that, Zero clenched his fist. Why was that person discussing false claims of 'peace', when he had knowingly destroyed what fragile harmony that there was left under a year ago? Staring solemnly into the warm charcoal that was the remains of a once blazing fire, he didn't even notice when Kaiya came out of hiding and sat next to him.

"Who on earth is she?" Aido asked rudely.

"That's Kaiya," Kaien answered sweetly, "She is my new precious daughter! Kiryu-kun fou – I mean, she is his newly orphaned cousin."

"I didn't know that your parents had siblings," Aido asked skeptically.

"Oh, Aido-kun, you are just too sharp," the Chairman scolded fondly, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Alright, she's his half sister. His father had an affair."

The Chairman's explanation did absolutely nothing to erase Aido's suspicions.

"I didn't know that," he said.

"_Neither did I_," Zero hissed under his breath, sending him a death glare over Aido's shoulder.

Kaiya's small mouth turned into a perfectly round 'o' at this. Even she found the idea strange.

"Look what I taught her Oni-chan!" the Chairman gushed fondly, seriously asking himself for a punch in the face. "We spent the night on it."

He put a hand on Kaiya's fragile shoulder.

"Introduce yourself," he instructed.

"You do know that that's not going to – " Zero begun, cut off by the sound of Kaiya clearing her throat.

"Hello," she greeted softly, curtseying, "My name is Kaiya. Nice to meet you."

Aido nodded in response.

"Isn't she just adorable, my little daughter!" Kaien exclaimed, chuffed.

"Will you talk to me?" he asked before casting a hurried glance at Zero, "In private, please."

"Of course, my dear Aido-kun," he replied, "But there is one thing I must ask you before you go."

"What is it?" he asked in return.

The room was quiet. The Chairman's eyes suddenly had an air of sorrow, a contrast to their usual cheerful appearance.

"Yuuki," he said simply. "How is she?"

Zero flinched. Only Kaiya noticed. Concerned, she poked his face with her pinky feeling. He sighed, and sent her a death glare which clearly read 'stop'.

"She is well," he replied wearily, "As she no longer can go to school, I've been appointed her teacher."

With that short message, the two walked into the office, slamming the door. The loud banging noise rang through the otherwise silent room. Why had the Chairman brought up Yuuki? He must have figured out how much it pained Zero to talk about it. Sighing, he rested his head on his lap. It would be months before he would realize that the Chairman had meant to ask about her at that moment deliberately.

After a few minutes, Zero shook himself off and remembered why he was here in the first place. He rummaged in his pocket, searching for the scrap of paper. Kaiya looked confused. Smoothing out the letter from its slightly crumpled state, he put it silently into Kaiya's hands. Her eyes widened as she read the short note, before stuffing it silently into her pocket without a word.

**Long chapter :D**

**The story will move faster next chapter! Sorry if I'm slow, it's like my curse…**

**Please review! You know you want to XD**


	11. Chapter 10 A Repeated Question

**WHOOT! DOUBLE DIGITS! Lol**

**Just a short notice… I probably won't be able to update this story till around the sixth of October… I'm going to China :D I'll try and handwrite at least one chapter and then post it when I get home ^^**

**Disclaimer – as usual, I do not own Vampire Knight :D**

**Chapter 10 –A Repeated Question  
**

It was early morning, and once again, Zero was fast asleep on the hay floor of White Lily's stable. New rays of sun gleamed through the small windows, yet Zero did not stir until a small girl wearing a dark red head band hauled him out of there and begun to march up towards the school building.

"We have school, Zero," she scolded crossly as she pulled him along, "Were you trying to wag again?"

She threw him onto the grass, which was still glistening with morning dew. Her hands were on her hips as she surveyed his scruffy appearance. She looked almost laughable with her hair still tied up with Zero's school tie. He had long since decided that it would not be a smart idea to ask for it back.

"For some strange reason I find it incredibly hard to believe that you are seventeen," he muttered under his breath sarcastically.

"What was that?" she asked angrily, kicking him in the shin. "Zero, you are a stupid person. Did you know that?"

He didn't answer. It had been nearly two weeks since Kaiya had started talking to him, but he still felt as if there was something missing. Did she really have the mental capacity of an eight year old, or was it some kind of cover?

"Take your blood tablets," he instructed before standing up and heading to class.

She shuddered as she did what he asked.

"You know something, Zero?" she said thoughtfully, skipping to keep up with him. "You never did bother to answer my question on the night you found me. That's not very nice."

"What was that?" he asked vaguely, not paying attention.

"What's a vampire?" she asked innocently, tugging on his arm. "This time, you can't escape. I'm not leaving till you answer."

As if to prove her point, she sat down cross-legged on the ground.

"You're gonna get wet, you know," he pointed out.

"Don't care," she replied stubbornly. "Answer."

"Fine," he sighed. "A vampire is a beast in human form that lives off the blood of living humans."

Kaiya cocked her head.

"Am I a vampire?"

"Yes, Kaiya."

"But I'm human…" she frowned, her forehead creasing slightly in confusion.

"No you're not."

Silence rang through the air as they walked the rest of the way to class. For Zero, it was the first peaceful moment that he'd had in two weeks. The bliss lasted right into when they approached the second year classroom. Just before they were about to go in (late as usual), Kaiya grabbed hold of Zero's arm. Her eyes were a swirling blur of sapphire. She was close to crying.

"If I'm a vampire," she said softly, tightening her grip, "and I take blood tablets, doesn't that mean that you are a vampire too, Zero?"

Her usually cheerful face was more solemn than he'd ever seen it before. She no longer looked like the weird girl who Zero had known for the past month. It was as if her face had aged at least five years. Despite her appearance, Kaiya was certainly quick on the uptake. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to answer.

"We should get to class," he mumbled, opening the door, "We're already late as it is."

It had been a month since Aido had arrived at the Academy. Kaiya had not once mentioned the letter, although sometimes he caught her sitting in a secluded corner stroking the scratchy pen marks. At these times she looked as though she was far away in another world. Zero would have investigated, but there were bigger matters at hand. Since the visit, there had been no further messages from Kaname or the vampires, and the Chairman was staring to get worried. On the other hand, Zero was becoming wary of what they might be up to.

It was the first time that any of the students had dared to approach Kaiya during break time. Giggling, two of the more annoying girls (in Zero's opinion) finally mustered up the courage to talk to the new girl.

"Hi, Kaiya-san," the first one asked. "How are you today?"

Fiddling with her fingernails, Kaiya didn't answer. Even after a month, the only two people that she felt comfortable talking around were the Chairman and Zero.

"We _love _your clothes," the second girl added, "Is that a school tie on your head?"

"It's Zero's," Kaiya explained shyly, still fidgeting.

"Kiryu's?" they asked bewilderedly, glancing anxiously at Zero, who was secretly listening five metres away. "How did you persuade him?"

"He gave it to me," she replied in a small voice.

Zero was suddenly very aware of the fact that the entire class was now staring at him, their mouths wide open. It took just one death glare to send them all fleeing.

"Well, why do you always keep it on?" they asked curiously.

The crowd around Kaiya had substantially grown in the last five minutes. She looked incredibly uneasy at all of the sudden attention.

"It's the first gift that anyone's ever given me," she explained quietly, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

Over half of the girls in class jumped up and down in excitement, squealing. The others folded their arms crossly and pointedly stared out of their respective windows.

"Oh, my god!" the original girl asked happily, her eyes sparkling. "Do you have a crush on Kiryu-kun, Kaiya-san?"

"That's so cute!" her friend exclaimed.

"Huh?" Kaiya protested, her face blushing deep scarlet, "No!"

"Eww, isn't that incest?" someone called, a trace of hostility residing in her voice. "They are cousins, after all."

"Yuk!" the rest of the class agreed, edging away in an instant.

Kaiya blinked, obviously wondering what she had done to scare everyone away. After a while, her head drooped steadily onto her desk and she began to daydream once more.

"You know, Zero, I think that I've worked it out." Kaiya said proudly.

Zero sighed. Would this girl ever leave him alone?

"Worked what out?" he asked, irritated. "Go to your dorm. I thought you moved in three weeks ago."

"Well why aren't you coming?" she replied, her black hair flying into her eyes.

They were standing outside of the Sun Dormitory. The wind was fierce, causing surrounding trees to sway dangerously in its wake. Zero was getting ready for his hunting duties. Kaiya, as usual, was following him. She really was like a little duckling following its mother.

"I don't live there anymore." he told her for what felt like the millionth time.

"Why?" she asked curiously, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"I just don't." he explained briefly.

"Huh?" Kaiya snorted, "That's not a reason, you liar!"

Annoyed, she stomped down hard on Zero's foot. He grimaced in pain.

"Anyway," she continued immediately, now poking Zero's back with her sharp fingernails. "I've worked it out."

"Stop." he ordered angrily.

Storming away, Zero wondered what exactly done to deserve her. _Probably a lot of things, _he thought sadly. As he climbed over the old stone wall surrounding the campus, he could hear a muffled, but distinguishable voice call out to him.

"Zero, I'm sorry for what happened to you." Kaiya said, her voice carrying on the cold breeze.

**I'm sorry it's a bit short… and I think that I should have edited more… **

**Anyways, please review! The button is nice and shiny :D **


	12. Chapter 11 The Note

**I'm sorry this took so long! I was away, and THEN I had this giant case of writer's block :(**

**Anyways, china was awesome! Maybe I'll write a story set there one day…**

***Daydreams…***

**Anyways, as always, I don't own Vampire Knight but I do own Kaiya-chan! **

**Chapter 11 – A Note**

Something wasn't quite right.

Zero knew it instantly, from the moment that he lay his head down on the desk for another long day at school. Something was _missing_.

Yeah sure, he was still sitting in the same dumb classroom, listening to the same dumb teacher go on about the same dumb things that he had already learnt last year. That hadn't changed at all. Everyone who met his violet eyes directly hastily looked away, but yet it still seemed like half the girls were watching him. Life was exactly as it had been for over six months, but yet he couldn't shake off that strange feeling. The room was slightly quieter than it should have been.

By break time, he had completely forgotten about ever being confused. Zero was in his usual place, the stable; lying down in the soft orangey-yellow hay next to White Lily. His facial muscles twisted slightly in a fond manner as he remembered the first time that he had fed that moody horse when she was just a foal. It had been a long time ago…

"_What is it Chairman?" the twelve-year old Zero had asked that day when he'd been poked at five o'clock in the morning. "Why are we getting up so early?"_

_He didn't bother to admit the truth- that he hadn't slept at all. Having tossed and turned all night, he just couldn't seem to shake off the chilling feeling, the feeling that Ichiru had smiled at their parents' death. Clenching, he shook his head in disbelief._

I must have been hallucinating or something, _he thought desperately. _Ichiru would never smile at such a thing!

_Are you paying attention, Zero?" the Chairman had asked, watching him space out with a worried expression. "A foal was born last night at the stable. Unfortunately, the mother didn't make it. I would've asked Yuuki to adopt it, but…"_

_He broke off, pretending to be very interested in his fingernails. Zero knew what was wrong. There was no way that he could hide it. Yuuki was feeling ill, and had been made to go to bed with a fever. For the first time ever since… what had happened… she had not been there to help him sleep. He knew that it was probably his fault for keeping her awake for his benefit, but he couldn't help longing for her comforting hand that made him forget everything… even for just a small moment._

"_Can't you look after it, Chairman?" he protested impatiently._

_Kaien averted his gaze with shame. Suddenly he no longer looked like the cheerful, irritating guy that Zero had come to know. He looked depressed._

"_Umm… what's wrong?" he asked wearily._

"_To be honest… the foal hates me!" he sobbed, exaggerated tears streaming into the collar of his long nightgown. "Put your coat on… it might like you better!"_

_Without waiting for consent, he shoved the coat roughly over his silvery head as fast as possible. Zero rolled his eyes._

"_But animals don't like me either," he pointed out, his voice muffled through the warm layers. "Didn't Master tell you about the time when –"_

"_I think you will find, Kiryu-kun, that it was your Master Yagari who scared away those poor wolves. Now, he really is hated by animals," the Chairman said thoughtfully, "and rightly too. He hates them back."_

_Zero sighed, defeated. _

"_Fine then," he'd agreed unenthusiastically," I'll go."_

_A sliver of sunlight shined through the tiny windows of Cross Academy's stable. A tiny silver bundle huddled nervously amongst the old, warm straw. It was shivering hopelessly, even though it was not too cold that morning. Zero blinked. This creature was what the crazy old man wanted him to look after?_

A sharp pain caused Zero to wake up from his dream abruptly. Something was tugging on his _hair. _It was probably _her_, coming to irritate him again. Couldn't he be left alone for just a little while?

"Kaiya, stop it," he mumbled irritably, swatting at her without opening his eyes.

Instead of hitting her knotty hair like usual, his hand fell upon a warm, furry, completely solid body. Opening his eyes in shock, he found himself in the stable alone. Sunlight streamed through the windows harshly. Obviously classes had restarted for the afternoon (there was no mindless chatter to be heard anywhere).A much older White Lily was lying right beside him (and sitting on his hair). She was snoring louder than he'd ever heard anyone in his life, her large chest rising and falling softly. It was quiet, but Zero had to go now. Kaiya was nowhere to be seen.

_That's what was missing this morning, _he realized as he hurried back up to the school. Her constant annoying chatter hadn't irritated him all day. It made him feel strange deep inside - although this was sort of a good thing; he knew that something was up. Kaiya would never skip a day without annoying him at all. It was like Shiki from the old Night Class going without pocky for a month – utterly impossible.

"Chairman?" he asked quickly, barely stopping to knock before entering the private quarters.

As usual, the Chairman was on the floor in front of his desk, this time drinking a mug of green tea whilst cooking an oddly smelling fish.

"What is it, Kiryu-kun?" he asked curiously, "Shouldn't you be in class?"

He sighed sadly, as if the sight of Zero made him feel completely depressed. Zero ignored him.

"Where's Kaiya?" he asked urgently.

"School," the Chairman replied at once. "Where you _should _be, I might add."

Zero rolled his eyes. Why was he mentioning this now?

"She wasn't there this morning," he said skeptically.

"Really?" he asked, looking confused. "But, I saw her leave, Kiryu. Are you sure that you don't have a fever? You know that you shouldn't stay up all night hunting. It's bad for you. Right?"

The Chairman looked up from his long rant only to find no trace of Zero at all. The door was swinging open, as if he'd left in a rush.

"Kiryu?"

The only sound was a soft whistle from the wind blowing past; the window was just slightly opened. Apart from that, Kaiya's bedroom was deathly quiet. Not a single item was out of place, with the bed made perfectly. It was as if no-one had ever been there at all. The only trace of life was a small note left on the tiny bedside table, covered with Kaiya's scratchy handwriting. Zero picked it up gingerly and read.

_Dear Zero, _it read.

_I'm really sorry for this, but I have to go. Thank you for saving me. Thank the Chairman too. I know that it was probably hard, with me being so weird and all… but never mind that now._

_Anyway, I've gone to find Taro. Thanks to you, I've finally realized that he was right about everything. Don't try and find me. I'm perfectly safe. See you again someday. _

_From Kaiya._

_p.s. open the draw._

She was gone. She had left him, just like Yuuki.

"Kiryu-kun?" the Chairman asked, having finally caught up with him.

As he watched perplexedly, Zero opened the small draw underneath slowly. Amongst the long forgotten dust there was a dark red piece of material. He recognized it as his old school tie, the same one that Kaiya had refused to take off ever since he had given it to her as a bandage.


	13. Chapter 12 Bloody Rose

**Hello people! My exams have finished! WHOOT! **

**As you may have guessed, I do not own Vampire Knight :p**

**Oh, and also I should credit my friend Kumio Tsuki for helping me come up with the first paragraph (in maths class… XD)**

**Chapter 12 – Bloody Rose**

Zero wasn't sure what he felt as his violet eyes scanned the letter again. Kaiya's unique hand writing was recognizable any day… or night… His fingers brushed the thin paper which was filled with so many scratched out words. Zero assumed that the letter was written in a hurry, but he still couldn't find it entirely in his heart to forgive her. Why would she just have upped and left, after everything that had happened to her? Sure, Zero had wished for her disappearance from his life many times, but… this had been so sudden…

It was the third time that week that the Chairman had asked to see the letter. It was getting annoying. Sighing, Zero carefully placed the well folded and scrutinized scrap of paper into his coat. Every time that he saw it, he remembered that day two weeks ago and so many others which he could never forget. He wasn't exactly sure why it bothered him so much… after all, it definitely wasn't the first time he'd been betrayed and left behind – he'd been alone for six months before Kaiya had attacked him in the snow. Shaking the strange feeling off his shoulders, he continued to head upstairs.

Zero opened the large door for what felt like the tenth time only to find his master, Yagari, sitting behind the Chairman's desk with his feet up. As usual, he had a large cigar poking out of his mouth. He looked at Zero with a bored expression on his face.

"What are you doing here, stupid apprentice?" he asked rudely.

Zero rolled his eyes.

"The chairman wanted to see me," he replied skeptically. "Why are you here?"

"He's on business," Yagari explained vaguely, "Now go away. You should be in class."

He gestured towards the open door, but Zero did not budge.

"It's Sunday," he pointed out irritably.

Yagari did not seem fazed at all by this fact. Rather, he picked a mound of papers from the desk and began to flip through them.

"Then work," he added disinterestedly as he read.

Zero sighed deeply as he scanned the slightly faded list of Level E's at Headquarters. The sheet was heavily mangled with vicious crosses from the more violet hunters as each target was killed. Right at the bottom, two names had been written in neatly. Zero knew that they must have been very recent – the ink was still shining slightly, as if it was still damp.

_If they're new, then they'll be smart, _Zero thought as he spotted the small notice next to them – KNOWN TO BE TRAVELLING IN A GROUP.

Immediately, he decided to head off after the two. They were smart, savage and a danger to humans. Plus, hunting these two would probably take his mind off everything for a little while.

The hunt turned out to be more difficult than he'd imagined. By the time that Zero had tracked his targets down to a small area of forest land, it was already very dark. The wind had been reasonably fierce all afternoon, making it incredibly hard for him to trace their usually unmistakable scent. With a town just one hundred metres away, Zero knew that he had to act fast. With his gun out on high alert, he was ready for whatever these psychos had to offer.

Zero heard rustling from the bushes beside him. Branches snapped violently as whatever it was grew closer and closer. He turned his gun at the bush, his finger poised on the trigger. Soon enough, a grubby looking girl with ripped clothes emerged. Her eyes were crazed as she stared at him tauntingly, a large smile etched across her twisted features.

"Hello, Hunter-kun," she giggled madly, skipping closer into the clearing. "Have you come to play with us?"

Zero flinched. He hated it when they got close to him.

"Your life ends today, vampire!" he shouted angrily, shooting without a second of hesitation.

The dust cleared, revealing nothing. The girl was gone. Zero breathed a sigh of relief and turned to find the other vampire.

"You really gave up on me that easily?" she asked, from beside his ear.

Zero's eyes widened as he whipped around. She had _survived_. Landing gracefully on her feet without faltering, the girl brushed herself off neatly and smiled sweetly at him.

"You broke the rules," she said, her sugariness turning to sour in seconds. "I hadn't even gotten started. That's very rude, isn't it, Nanashi?"

She looked up expectantly at the dense canopy, as if waiting for an answer.

"Of course it is, Nami."

A male Level E, her companion, jumped down from the branches above. He brushed past Zero on his way to join the girl.

"You should never have bad manners, Hunter-kun," he scolded in his ear.

Zero took a step back. Now there was not one, but two of them. Neither was harmed, and both were unusually intelligent for their level of insanity. The situation had become just that one step harder.

Zero knew that he had to shoot, but something was stopping him. It was stronger than his usual hesitation before a kill, so strong now that he could barely grasp the trigger.

"Hunter-kun isn't playing fair," the girl complained. "It's his turn to play, and he isn't doing anything!"

"You're right, Nami-chan," a high voice agreed from behind Zero's silvery head. "It's not fair at all."

"Tori-sama!" the original female gasped.

A final vampire emerged from the forest. From the way which the other two were staring at this person as if expecting orders, Zero deduced that she was the sort of leader. Her matted dark hair was nearly waist length, but she had the same eyes that joined her and her companions – the blood-red eyes of a vampire. However, she wasn't a level E. Zero could sense that she was in fact an aristocrat; much like the Night Class had been at Cross Academy.

"Can I kill Hunter-kun for us, Tori-sama?" asked the girl whose name appeared to be Nami, eagerly.

"No," she ordered viciously, slapping Nami fiercely across the cheek. "He knew that he was coming after us! We're supposed to keep him alive, remember!"

Zero shot Bloody Rose again – only this time straight into the air. There was something that he needed to find out before he could get rid of these maniacs.

"Who wants you to keep me alive?" Zero asked menacingly, "Who is your master?"

The three vampires exchanged glances. Although they were full of maniac bloodlust, they still had enough common sense to know that telling would get them killed - If not by Zero, then by their master.

"Ah, Zero-_chan_," Nami said fondly. "It would be breaking the rules to tell you, right?"

She caressed his neck, brushing his silver hair away.

"Your blood… smells good…" she said, biting deeply.

"Don't touch me!" Zero shouted, trying to shoot again.

For some reason, he still couldn't do it. What was wrong? He had done it perfectly just ten minutes ago? There was something different about this hunt from those before it.

"You really seem to hate vampires a lot, Zero-chan," she giggled, licking her lips in satisfaction. "Why don't you kill me then?"

"I…" he stumbled.

Quickly, Zero wrenched himself out of the warped girl's strong grip. Staring at the three targets, he realized that he wasn't going to be able to kill them tonight. Something was stopping him. However, that didn't mean that he was going to give them what they wanted – his cooperation. Before they could move in on him, Zero shot into the air. As the vampires stared quizzically around, wondering what had happened, Zero slipped away in the diversion. He was incredibly irritable as he ran through the forest. Failing a hunt was something that never happened to him. For others, maybe – but Zero was supposed to be one of the best hunters of all – so why couldn't he kill a few simple level E's?

He could feel his bite marks healing quickly, but incredibly painfully as he walked into the outskirts of the small town. He had never felt this tired in a long time. He'd been hunting these vampires for eight hours; plus the amount of sleep that Zero had gotten over the past week had been incredibly minimal. Although this amount of sleep deprivation was certainly not a new feeling to him, for some reason it seemed a hundred times worse.

_That girl… must have drunken… a lot of my blood… _he thought, before his legs gave way.

Zero fell to the ground, scattering a large pile of leaves into the air. The last thing he felt was a sharp pain to his head before everything went dark.

**Is it strange to say that I really enjoyed writing this chapter?**

**I really liked writing about Nami-chan. She's my favourite character so far in this story :D **


	14. Chapter 13 Explanations

**Hello people! Now that I'm on summer holiday, I'll be able to write a lot more XD **

**I'm excited!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight…**

**Chapter 13 - Explanations**

Zero's eyes twitched uncomfortably as a harsh ray of morning sunlight burned through his aching eyelids. He frowned as a small part of his exhausted brain registered that it was morning. Couldn't he just lie here forever? It was not like he had anything to live for.

Something scratchy caressed his cheek as he lay on the ground. Zero sighed. It was probably White Lily, wanting her usual morning brush. Why did she have to be so insistent?

"Stop it, Lily – "he complained in irritation, sitting up and attempting to swat his annoying but adoring horse away from his face.

His hand did not meet the warm, soft fur that he was expecting. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying just next to a lot of prickly rose bushes. The ground was wet with morning dew. Buildings stood in the near distance. As Zero sat up, he realized that he had collapsed on the outskirts of a small town. Slowly, Zero began to remember what had happened last night. The level E's and their little ringleader had _escaped_. Regaining his energy enough to stand up, he brushed himself off. There was no way in hell that he was going to let them run free any longer.

Touching his head painfully, Zero could feel a lot of dry blood. He had hit his head – badly. Although the bleeding had stopped, there was still a large gash across his skull. Thanks to that girl drinking his blood, the wound hadn't healed as quickly as he was used to. He uncomfortably became aware of his desperate cravings, gnawing for the huge amount of blood that he had lost. Zero shrugged them off as best as he could by chugging down tablets as he set off to hunt, his Bloody Rose gun on high alert.

The forest was damp with morning dew and bustling with activity. Birds called to each other from high above whilst tiny insects rustled through the undergrowth, setting about their daily activities. As he trudged through the array of trees, plants and species, it became more and more obvious that Tori and her companions were long gone. The wind had blown any scent away, and the falling leaves had covered any footprints or trails. Zero didn't even know how long he had been unconscious. It was likely that the trio had reported back to their mysterious pureblood master by now. Zero cursed himself for collapsing.

Hoping that the association would be able to give him a lead, Zero began to head back. He felt a small itching of déjà vu as he wandered into the nearby town on his journey. He knew that at some point, he had been to this quaint little place. There was just something familiar about the cobbled streets and dusty shops. Even the citizens going about their daily business mad Zero feel as if he had seen them before. After staring at the buildings curiously, he remembered that this town was near to that strange hospital where Kaiya had supposedly escaped from. It seemed like so long ago since he had been to the hospital and found the letter from Taro. But now Kaiya had left. Deciding that he had nothing better to do, he turned around and headed in the direction that he remembered. There was still something not quite right about that girl. Perhaps she was connected somehow to the incident in the woods.

Unlike the last time that he'd been here, Sea Green Children's Psychiatric Hospital was bustling with activity. Nervous parents and friends crowded into the waiting room hoping for a visit, phones were ringing off the hook and doctors and patients consulted and talked constantly. He wondered if now would be a better time to find out exactly why Kaiya had ended up in this place to begin with.

The people nearest to the stood and stared as Zero walked in. He could feel their eyes on the back of his head and wondered just how bad his injury was. Ignoring their stares, Zero walked straight in and started to look for any sign of Kaiya. He didn't care what those people thought.

Kaiya did not turn out to be hard to find. As a 'potentially dangerous' escapee, the entire hospital seemed to be on red alert, despite the fact that Kaiya had been missing for months now. No new information had surfaced for a long time, and everyone seemed to be becoming more and more desperate.

"Hey, you!" a voice shouted angrily.

Zero looked up. It was Maruyama – one of the psychiatrists who had questioned Zero at Cross Academy. She was puffing heavily, her cheeks bright pink. It was obvious that she had run to catch him as quickly as possible.

"Where – is – she?" she asked threateningly. "I know that you found her. Tell us where she is. It's for her own good. That girl is a danger to herself."

"I don't know where she is," he replied, truthfully this time.

The woman did not look convinced. After all, last time he had lied to her.

"Do you even know anything about that girl?" she asked spitefully. "Or do you think that it was just completely ordinary to find a strange girl one day who supposedly lives at this establishment?"

Zero scowled.

"Maruyama-Sempai?" a woman asked, hurrying to catch up. "What is it? Have you found anything?"

Her eyes widened at the sight of Zero's distinctive silver hair.

"You!" she said in disbelief.

The woman grabbed his shoulders forcefully and rammed him against the nearest wall, knocking over a framed picture of the hospital's founder. Ignoring the pleas of Maruyama, she glared angrily at Zero.

"Where is my daughter!" she cried.

"I don't know," he repeated awkwardly.

"Don't lie! Of course you know! Maruyama-Sempai told me about how you're harbouring her at some stupid school!"

"But – " Zero protested weakly before being drowned out once again.

It was like talking to a brick wall.

"She's mentally ill you know!" she continued, her grey eyes flashing dangerously. "My daughter needs help. One teenage boy can't look after her alone."

Zero blinked. _Teenage boy_? Who was this woman?

"Mine-san!" Maruyama interrupted, pulling the hysterical woman away. "Now is not the time. Our latest reports show that she is no longer residing at Cross Academy."

"Well where is she then?" Mine asked.

The two women stared straight into Zero's violet eyes expectantly.

"I told you, I don't know where she is." Zero said for what seemed like the hundredth time. "She disappeared two weeks ago."

They had gone upstairs into a private office which smelled slightly of roses. On the shiny elm desk in front of him was a small plaque with the words HIROKO MARUYAMA, CHILD PSYCHIATRIST etched upon it.

"Liar!" Mine said angrily.

"I don't think he is, Mine-san," Maruyama said quietly. "It's highly likely that she experienced a psychotic break as she did the night she escaped her."

Mine sighed. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"I just want her safely back in the hospital being cared for properly," she admitted.

She frowned and placed her empty teacup solidly onto the desk.

"What were you thinking?" she asked angrily. "How did you ever decide that you could look after her?"

Zero glared menacingly. How did she expect him to know everything? Besides, Kaiya was not on a psychotic break. She was a vampire. Yet… if her parents were human then how was that possible. She couldn't be level D or E if she had been here for nearly her entire life.

"Well who is she then?" he said irritably.

Perhaps there was something in her past related to all of this. There had to be a reason for a vampire to be at a human hospital.

The two women stared sadly at each other. Mine nodded slowly.

"Her name is Kaiya Hayashi, and she was admitted under our care thirteen years ago." Maruyama explained sadly.


	15. Chapter 14 The Truth

**Hello people ^^ this will be my last chap for a while. I really need to complete my other story, so I'm taking a break until it's done. After that… HEAPS OF WRITING on this story only! (I promise to make it really long!) Please Review!**

**I own nothing!**

**Chapter 14 – The Truth**

Mine cleared her throat nervously, biting her lip. She began to speak timidly, hesitating at every word.

"My husband and I adopted Kaiya when she was a year old. She was such a sweet, happy little girl. I – I would never have guessed that she –"

She broke off, blowing heavily into her lace handkerchief. It had been a long time since she'd said this out loud. Her manicured hands were shaking.

"I'm sorry," she apologized hurriedly, wiping away the fresh tears which were dripping down her cheeks. "It's just… hard to remember how she used to be."

She noticed Zero's expectant glare and realized that she was going off track. Fidgeting in her seat, she prepared for the story.

"Um, I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'll continue."

"Well, as I said, Kaiya was a lovely little girl. But she was strange sometimes. Even when she was two years old, she refused to go outside. We noticed this quickly, and tried everything… but nothing worked." Mine explained sadly. "Every time we took her out into the garden, she would cower away as if she was scared that she would melt in the sunlight."

Zero frowned. To him, it was obvious that the reason why Kaiya 'refused to go outside' was because she was a vampire who naturally dislike the sun's harsh rays. Obviously, there was no way that human doctors and parents would have figured this out. After all, they still believed that vampires were just a legend told to scare children. Kaiya was so different to them – of course they would think that something weird was going on. But how had a young vampire like her ended up in the care of ignorant humans? Zero had never heard any story like it before.

Mine tapped her fingers impatiently on the side of her chair, abruptly interrupting Zero's train of thought. Her mouth was curled slightly as she frowned.

"Aren't you the one who wanted to hear about my daughter?" she accused crossly.

He blinked. Rolling her dark eyes, Mine shook her head disapprovingly and continued.

"Anyway, Kaiya's state worsened as she grew older. She started licking her own and other people's cuts. One day when she was ten years old she attacked a boy so badly that he was sent to hospital. Her condition had worsened a lot over the years. She was so disturbed that there was no way we could cope so we…"

She trailed off quickly, as if all of this was still hard to understand and accept. Her sobs could be heard louder than ever. Doctor Maruyama put her arm around Mine's shaking back.

"Her condition has not improved, no matter what we tried," she explained sadly. "She lived here in the hospital for nearly eight years. We've given her every type of medicine available. Still, nothing changed at all – in some ways she became secluded from the world as well as troubled. That is, until the day she jumped out of the window."

The trio was silent, each hidden deep in their own thoughts. The wooden clock behind them ticked loudly. It was the only reminder of life in the room. Eventually, Mine looked up, her face red and blotchy.

"Do you understand now, kid?" she asked harshly.

Ignoring her insult, Zero nodded slowly. This was a lie. He didn't understand anything at all, but then he knew more secrets about the girl than they did.

There was one more question which he could safely ask these people.

"Did she ever mention someone called Taro?" he said, wondering if there was a connection.

"Of course," Mine confirmed instantly. "How could she not know him? He visited her more often that we did."

Seeing Zero's confused look, she began groping around in her small black handbag. So much junk was pulled out, more than the tiny bag seemed to hold. Eventually she produced a small, crumpled, dog-eared photo of a smiling young man and herself. The person was at least a head taller than her, with soft brown hair which fell across his face in a casual way. From the look of him, Zero estimated the man to be about five years older than himself.

"This is Taro?"

"Her older brother," Mine explained shortly.

Zero nodded in recognition, noticing that the man's eyes were the exact same shade as his mother's – a deep brown. It seemed fairly obvious to him that they were indeed related. But the letter had said '_I have discovered what happened to you.'_

How had Kaiya's human older brother discovered her past as a vampire? Zero didn't even know that story himself.

"Zero-kun, did Kaiya-chan mention Taro-kun?" Maruyama asked curiously.

He shrugged, pulling the letter that he had found lying neatly on Kaiya's bedside table so many months ago from the folds of his uniform pocket. It was placed on the oak table in silence.

The two women examined the scrap of paper, as Zero himself had done. As her eyes scanned the page, Mine crushed Kaiya's last known words tightly into her fist, unable to control herself. She was crying.

"Does this mean that Kaiya is with Taro now?" she sobbed, her face a mottled cross of grief and anger. "After all this worry for months and months, she turns up one day at his house and he didn't say anything! What was he thinking? I'm her _mother_."

"Calm down, Mine-san," Maruyama pleaded. "Think about it – if Kaiya-chan left Zero-kun a letter when she left that school, then she must have been regretful. Perhaps Zero-kun will be able to come back to us!"

The tiny office was quiet. Zero felt them both staring at him eagerly, with almost hungry expressions. He had a bad feeling about this idea…

"Why me?" he asked reluctantly.

The doctor shook her head sadly. She leant forward in her seat and touched Mine's hand gently. Zero frowned, but she ignored him. It was as if they had a kind of private joke going on.

"So dense, isn't he, Mine-san?" she sighed dramatically.

"You're absolutely right, Maruyama-Sensei," Mine agreed wholeheartedly. "Sad, really. Poor thing."

"What?" Zero asked irritably, glaring at their mournful expressions.

Had he done something wrong?

Mine raised her eyebrows at Maruyama, who took this as the signal to finally enlighten Zero.

"Listen, Zero-kun," the psychiatrist said bluntly. "She didn't leave a farewell note to her own family who she has known for her entire life, yet she gives one to some weird kid that she met two months ago. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that means something."

"Huh?" Zero said, glaring.

There was a collective groan from his female companions.

"Kid, look at it this way," Mine explained slowly. "We will overlook the fact that you harboured an escaped psychiatric patient for three months or so if you find Taro and Kaiya. There is one condition – convince my daughter to come back here, or do it by force. You seem quite strong, I'm sure you can take care of one girl if the need arises."

"_Straight_ back," Maruyama added quickly. "No little detours, or the deal's off."

She grinned brightly, her smile so refreshing that it had a slight evil quality to it that Zero couldn't quite comprehend.

"Here's the address," Mine said, handing Zero a small piece of lined paper. "Go."

_How did they drag me into this? _Zero thought miserably as he was shoved out of the hospital. Sighing heavily, he decided that the best thing to do was to go ahead with it.


End file.
